Car Problems
by Topaz Tsubasa
Summary: Mikan knew it was going to be a bad day. Her car broke down, and by some stroke of Cosmic Retribution, she ended up in the auto shop that Natsume worked at. The worst part? Her arch-nemesis is shirtless. UnBeta-ed. Written for the Shirtless Natsume Challenge! EDIT: Revised the ending, so it's better!


Title: Car Problems  
Author: Topaz Tsubasa  
Rating: T  
Characters: Natsume, Mikan  
Genre: Humor(LOTS of humor), Romance  
Challenge: Shirtless Natsume!  
Status: UnBeta-ed  
Word Count: 1,818  
A/N: Shirtless Natsume? O.O This is not good for my sanity. This is also the crackiest thing I've ever written, so prepare your minds. EDIT: Or not-I was kinda loopy while writing this, but upon further reflection, not _that_ loopy.

Mikan curses and wonders at her misfortune.

Usually, the day started with Takamatsu—part-time kindergarten teacher and full-time Mikan-sitter (actually her foster mom, who took her in after her grandfather died)—ripping the sheets off Mikan's curled-up body and yelling, "Get your butt off this bed, young lady!"

If you're wondering why Mikan doesn't just get an alarm clock like any other sensible person, it's because by the time Takamatsu wakes her up, her alarm has been ringing for an hour and a half. It has long since been confirmed that unless her alarm rings for that specific amount of time before she wakes up, Mikan won't budge a centimeter in the morning.

But today was different.

Today, Takamatsu stuttered at the word "get".

And that's how Mikan knew that today was going to be a bad, bad day.

By all means, it shouldn't have been. Mikan didn't have any work today. Takamatsu usually takes advantage of her days off and sets Mikan out on errands, but due to a series of strange events caused by Takamatsu's inherent "Social Old Lady Syndrome", Takamatsu decided to do them herself so that she could talk to the people who frequented the places she usually went to. That meant Mikan was free to sunbathe at the park, or eat ice cream, or even call up Koko and hang out all day.

There's also the issue of Takamatsu's stuttering somehow signifying Mikan's doom. For that, Mikan has an entire mental list proving that her sentiments are right. Let's start, shall we? On the days that Takamatsu stuttered when waking Mikan up, the following has happened:

1) Mikan got chased by the scariest dog in the neighborhood and broke her ankle.

2) She failed a test.

3) Her pet gerbil ate a rock and died.

4) Her other pet gerbil escaped its cage and was never seen again.

5) She met Natsume.

6) Koko pushed her into a pool with all her clothes on, and zero amount of sunscreen on her person.

7) The bakery that sold howalons went on a three-month hiatus, due to the owner's pregnancy and the subsequent birth of her first child.

8) Hotaru's flight back to Japan was cancelled, and Mikan's wait to see her again went from half a year to a full year.

9) Mikan accidentally ate food that had expired a full year ago.

And finally, the worst of the worst…

10) Her favorite TV show was cancelled. Stupid big wig TV execs!

This list only grazes the surface, however. Mikan's been with Takamatsu for the past five years, which gave her _plenty_ of time to stutter. She keeps the list down at ten for containment purposes—aka, Mikan isn't smart enough to remember more than that at once.

Anyways, when Mikan started her day, it was with a wary eye and a ready baka gun in her bag. It still wasn't enough preparation for what happened to her.

The universe must have had a great laugh when her little car heaved, spluttered, and gave a final cough as she tried to turn it on that morning.

That was how, on the hottest day in the summer, Mikan found herself dragging her car to the nearest auto shop—which was coincidentally the same auto shop Natsume worked at.

If you don't see the problem with this, see number five on her list.

Someone clears their throat to her left, and it snaps Mikan out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" She answers automatically.

The burly shop owner hands her a clip board with all the expenses it'll take to fix her car. Mikan brushes some sweat off her forehead and undergoes the effort of trying to read through the heat bearing down on her entire being. She squints and then cringes at the number at the bottom of the paper.

This can't be possible. That much money, just to fix a hunk of junk like her car? Mikan _knew_ she should've saved up and gotten something newer. She looks up, just to see whether this is actually real or not, only to find that the man that handed her the clipboard is gone.

Mikan sighs. This is going to be a long day.

_CLANG!_

Mikan jumps about a foot in the air, dropping the clipboard and holding a hand to her mouth to hold back the squeak that would've no doubt shredded the ears of any passerby.

Someone sheepishly starts picking up the basket of tools that fell while Mochu—that idiot, she forgot he worked here too—laughs at her reaction. She shoots him a dirty look and hopes that something from the car he's under unhinges and falls on his head.

"You dropped something, Polka Dots," Natsume remarks as he walks past her, an amused smirk playing at his lips.

If Mikan's jaw could actually function properly, she'd tell him to eat dirt. Instead, it hangs dumbly as she realizes—oh dear Lord, he's not wearing a shirt.

That's an _awful_ _lot_ of lean muscle…

Mikan vigorously shakes her head and mentally smacks herself. She can't drool over Natsume! He's been mean to her since day one!

Case in point: there is a nasty boot print on the clipboard Mikan dropped, courtesy of Natsume not even bothering to step over it. Mikan growls and snatches the clipboard from the ground, placing it on the table behind her with a huff.

She reaches around for her purse, which contains her checkbook, but her hand meets air. Mikan whips around, seeing that no, her bag really isn't there. Just her luck . If it's not there, then it's in her car. And if it's in her car…she'll have to ask Natsume for her key so she can get it out.

Dammit.

At this point, you might ask, what is it about Natsume that irks Mikan so? That answer is a bit complicated, but Mikan's got all day until her car is fixed, so she might as well go for it.

When the two of them first met, Natsume stole a look at her panties and ever since then, he's only called her by the pattern she was wearing that day: Polka Dots. Every time he does, Mikan's face burns bright red and she splutters in indignation. Today was only an exception, because – well – _that_.

Among their circle of friends, Mikan and Natsume are famous for not being able to spend ten minutes in the same room without throwing insults at another like a verbal reenaction of World War II.

At those times, Mikan can't stand him. Who could? His stupid smirk could make Mother Teresa herself go on a rampage. That part is typical, then. Her real problem starts when he _doesn't_ act like a jerk.

As it turns out, if he puts his mind to it, Natsume can be kinder than anyone else Mikan has ever known.

She's only ever witnessed it three times. The first two, he didn't even know she was there. The third…

Oh, the third…

Mikan had been visiting her grandfather's grave that day. She spent hours talking to him there, and then instead of taking a cab home, Mikan chose to walk. It was cloudy and murky, but her grandfather would've told her to do it anyways. Carpe diem, right? Then, on her way out, Mikan chanced upon Natsume.

To this day, she still doesn't know why, but Mikan burst into tears then and there. Instead of bullying her like he usually does—or just walking away like any other normal person—Natsume had pulled her into a painfully gently embrace that burned into her memory and haunted her dreams. That day, she must have cried into his shoulder for an ungodly amount of time, but he didn't complain even once.

Neither of them ever spoke of it again, but the damage was done.

Now, every time Mikan so much as looks at Natsume, she's reminded of exactly how gentle he can be, and a little bit of her resolve to keep him away inevitably shears off. Sooner or later, it'll be gone completely, and what will Mikan do then? Pursue him? Ha! Takamatsu could have a better chance of being liked by Natsume than her.

That's why Mikan can't talk to him. But he sure as hell isn't making anything easier for her by not wearing a shirt! Of all the jerks Mikan could have found herself falling for, it had to be the one whose remarks were as biting as he was sexy. He could at least find some decency in him and put a tank top on, for goodness sakes!

Instead, Mikan is finding herself glancing every ten seconds at greasy, sweaty, coiling muscles bent over the hood of her car.

Shit!

Why did Takamatsu have to stutter today, of all days?!

Alright, Mikan. You're a big girl. Just go ask him for your car keys. That's all.

"Natsume!" She calls out. That's right. Play it cool. "I left my bag in the car. Can I get my keys?"

He straightens up and looks at her like she's the dumbest person to ever walk the face of the planet. Okay, so _maybe_ she deserves that one. Then his mouth twists into a smirk that she can only characterize as devious. Uh oh. The smirk makes her wary, but the sheer _Natsume_ of it all makes her heart pound in her chest.

Which is how Mikan ended up in the cramped back room, with only a bunch of metal tools and Natsume to keep her company.

"Are my keys really here?" Mikan tries her best to make herself sound annoyed. She only half-succeeds.

"Yup," Natsume answers. He pops open a drawer, and sure enough, her keys are inside. What he does next throws her for a loop of a lifetime.

Natsume comes up close to her—and she means really, _really_ close—and very slowly reaches his arm around her, pushing her car keys into her short's back pocket.

"You know, Polka Dots, there's something I've really been wanting to do for a pretty long time now." One of his hands goes to her waist, while the other thumbs the base of her spine, sending her mind reeling. "Only _someone_ likes to be annoying and stops me every time."

"Yeah?" Mikan struggles to say. "Well you're no angel yourself."

He chuckles—it's the most beautiful sound in the world—and everything slows down. Their breaths meld together. The heat barely even registers to her mind. All there is is Natsume, Natsume, Natsume.

Voice an octave lower, Natsume grumbles, "Have I mentioned that you look absolutely ravishing?" His hand leaves her waist for a moment to flick her spaghetti strap. "You should be wearing sleeves."

Mikan almost groans in frustration. If she looks so ravishing, then why doesn't he _ravish_ her already? But she plays along anyways. "_You_ should be wearing a shirt," she says accusingly.

She looks into his eyes—deep, deep pools of crimson—and she finally catches his question for permission in them. So _that's_ why he hasn't done anything. She nods, just a little bit, and Natsume snaps.

He crushes his lips to hers, giving her no time to wonder, and very soon Mikan realizes what it's like to be kissed out of her mind. The heat of his mouth radiates against hers, and in practically no time at all, Natsume has her backed up against the door, the only things supporting her being Natsume and her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

He kisses her and kisses her and kisses her, and at the taut skin beneath her fingertips, Mikan has to wonder whether Natsume being shirtless really is so bad.

Well, at least now she knows for sure. Takamatsu has no chance against her at all.

And she might have to revise her "stuttering" theory.

_FIN._

_A/N: Omg, what is this monstrosity. I'm sorry, guys! I should've at least had this thing beta-ed before unleashing it onto the public, but alas, I could not wait. This was written for the Shirtless Natsume Challenge, which __**isn't**__ an actual event(unless it really is), but just something that Unknown Pain and I needed to kick our butts into gear. Her part isn't coming for a while, though! If you guys want to try it, go ahead! The only rule is that Natsume's gotta be shirtless at some point._

_This story is also just a prequel. I'm probably going to be writing a three or five-shot with an actual plot to it, and over here you just get a little taste of their world. Or hey, maybe I'll just make it a really long one or two-shot._

_BY THE WAY:_

_GO NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE STORIES ON THE GAKUEN ALICE READER'S CHOICE AWARDS NOW!_

_Link:_ forum/Gakuen-Alice-Reader-s-Choice-Awards-2012/127417/

_And don't forget to review~!_

_EDIT: Still don't like this so much, but I've made the ending a bit more satisfactory. Hope you guys like it!_


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